


Protective

by Cutekittenlady, poodles, takethembystorm



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Collab, F/M, Gen, Tumblr, so much shipping, watch out for cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 14:52:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6989929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cutekittenlady/pseuds/Cutekittenlady, https://archiveofourown.org/users/poodles/pseuds/poodles, https://archiveofourown.org/users/takethembystorm/pseuds/takethembystorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A set of events is set into motion when Marinette jumps into an akuma attack untransformed.<br/>A collaboration originating on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Get to know me on Twitter @cutekittenlady  
> And on my tumblr fic blog http://cutekittenlady.tumblr.com/
> 
> This is a mass collaboration between several tumblr users that all started when a user going by Ladybeug posted a fun comic! From there the whole thing spiraled into a multi part fanfic with each addition being written by a different tumblr user.  
> With their permission I will be publishing this mass collab here on AO3.  
> Please keep in mind that while I have added an addition to this story, I DO NOT own the original art and do not take credit for the whole thing.  
> I will also share the username of each tumblr user along with each part that they wrote along with a link to their tumblr page.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy!
> 
> Original post: http://ladybeug.tumblr.com/post/143156729941/if-your-taking-requests-maybe-some-protective

Art by [Ladybeug](http://ladybeug.tumblr.com/)

Writing by [Miracufic](https://miracufic.tumblr.com/) can also be found on AO3 [here](http://archiveofourown.org/users/takethembystorm/pseuds/takethembystorm)

* * *

 

Chat takes a punch to the face that sends him bouncing and skidding across the street until he hits a car and stops.

He lies there for a while, head spinning.

Right.  Pain, in his arms and back and in his face, especially his nose, which—he reaches up and checks—isn’t actually broken, but feels like it.

Welp, enough lying around.  Chat hauls himself unsteadily to hands and knees, then up to a crouch as the shadow of the supervillain falls over him with the same finality of a headsman’s axe.

Before either of them can react, Marinette dives in between them, shielding Chat with her own body.  The supervillain freezes.  Chat freezes.

Chat reacts first.

As the supervillain’s punch hurtles down towards them Chat pulls his staff from the small of his back and holds it out before them, catching the blow on the unyielding metal.  The force of the impact shoves him back against the car and makes his wrists and elbows grind painfully, but he grits his teeth and pushes back with every ounce of supernatural strength that Plagg can grant him, forcing the supervillain back a step.

“ _Jesus_ , Princess,” he spits as he grabs her by the waist and leaps away.  He sets them down a few blocks away.  “You _know_ this suit is _armored_ , right?” he snarls, jabbing a finger at her.  “Did you know your cotton tee is _not_?”

Marinette shoves him in the chest, then returns the gesture, her admonitory finger nearly putting out an eye.  “Did _you_ know,” she hisses, “that you don’t  _actually_ have nine lives?”

“At least _I_ wouldn’t _die_ in about half a second flat,” he snarls back, taking a step closer so that they’re almost nose-to-nose.  “God, I knew you were reckless but I didn’t expect that you’d be _stupid_ too.”

“Excuse me?” Marinette replies, her voice going deathly quiet.

“That man can throw cars around like they’re _tinker toys,_ “ Chat says.  “And you think that you can do anything against someone like that?  God, what is wrong with your head?”

“What is wrong with my head is that I apparently _care_ about your safety and wellbeing!”

Before the argument can devolve further, something explodes.  Chat glances back at the fight that he’s left behind and curses.

“Stay here,” he says as he turns away.  “We’ll discuss this later.”

He leaps away.

“Like _fuck_ we’re discussing this later,” Marinette grumbles as she opens her purse.  “Tikki spots on.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat and Marinette have a talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright now we've actually come to my own addition to this collab!  
> On tumblr I go by browntiger15

Writing by [browntiger15](http://browntiger15.tumblr.com/)

* * *

 

As it turned out they  _ did _ talk about it.

After dealing with the akuma, Marinette had gotten out of there almost immediately without saying a word to Chat Noir.

Just who did he think he was?! The guy who dives head first into danger had the nerve to tell  _ her _ she was being reckless?! 

Okay. MAYBE, she shouldn’t have rushed in like that. But what was she supposed to do?!

Chat had the wind knocked out of him and wasn’t recovering quickly enough to get out of the way. From where she had been standing, Marinette could tell he wouldn’t get his bearings back in time to avoid the attack. If she had done nothing, her partner would have been turned into a black and red smear on the pavement.

Her body had moved faster than her mind. She had the vaguest idea she had heard Tikki screaming at her to stop, but the adrenaline had tuned her out. That or Marinette’s own stubbornness.

When she finally managed to get home and into the privacy of her own room, Tikki immediately laid into her.

“What were you thinking?!” 

Marinette flinched as the usually sweet voice was raised in a very rare display of anger.

“You could’ve been killed! What do you think Paris would do without you?! How do you think your parents would’ve reacted?!” The poor red fairy’s rage was going just as quickly as it came. In its place came a quiet tone of disappointment and remorse. “What would _ I _ do without you?”

Marinette sat in her desk chair with her knees pulled to her chest doing her very best to avoid Tikki’s eye contact.

“I couldn’t just do nothing…” she whispered. “What if he’d been killed?”

Tikki said nothing. For once the kwami wasn’t sure what to tell Marinette. On the one hand, she couldn’t encourage the girl to dive into life-threatening situations without the suit to protect her. But neither could she tell her she was wrong for wanting to protect her friend.

Opening her mouth to speak, Tikki was interrupted by a sudden knock on Marinette’s window.

She barely had time to find a suitable hiding place before the window opened and Chat Noir appeared crouching on the window sill and looking in at Marinette.

The look on his face was much calmer than it had been just a few hours before. The seriousness remained, but the anger and irritation had disappeared completely.

Marinette blinked in surprise at the sight of him.

“We need to talk.” The usual light-hearted tone was now much more even and quiet.

Looking away she responded. “About what?”

“You  **know** what.” He descended unceremoniously into her room.

_ I didn’t think he’d actually try to talk about it. _ Marinette thought before willing herself to look at him.

His green eyes had narrowed themselves at her as he began. “You can’t charge into things like that. If I hadn’t of gotten my baton out in time-”

“-you’d be a smear on the pavement?” Marinette finished.

“ _ I’d _ be fine!” Chat corrected. “ _ You’d _ be  **dead** .”

She didn’t reply.

“I’ve been through stuff like that hundreds of times before, but I only lived through that stuff because I wear a magic leather catsuit!”

_ I know _ . Marinette thought. But instead, she responded. “So what? You think that means I shouldn’t care if you get hurt?”

“No.” he came across the room until he was standing next to her. “It means that between the two of us it’s better if I get hurt over you.”

Biting her lip, Marinette felt a sudden knot form in her stomach. 

“That’s not true,” she muttered.

“It is.” Chat sighed. “Look, I appreciate that you wanted to help me. I.. I really do.”

He paused choosing his words carefully.

“But if given a choice between me getting hurt and you being killed which do you think is the better option?”

She didn’t reply. It was obvious which was the best alternative. Marinette DID have a sense of self-preservation after all.

But…

_ I hate seeing you get hurt! _

She barely managed to keep herself from yelling it aloud.

Instead, she said, “I know… doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Chat Noir sighed. “Just please… don’t do it again. For my sake if not your own. I could never forgive myself if anything-” he stopped himself there.

He was getting too personal. Marinette and Chat Noir were supposed to be passing acquaintances. Nothing more.

But it was true.

Even if she didn’t know it, Marinette was one of Adrien’s closest friends. If one of his friends were hurt or killed when he could have prevented it… Adrien doubted he could ever live with himself.

So instead he finished, “-if anything happened to a civilian because of me.”

Marinette had gone quiet.

For a moment Chat feared he may have gone too far and now the poor girl was in tears.

Taking a deep breath Marinette looked at him. Thankfully she wasn’t crying, but there lingered a look of sad acceptance in her eyes.

“Okay.” Her voice was quiet and agreeing.

Chat sighed, thankful that she had accepted his reasoning. “Alright, I’ll be going the-”

“On ONE condition.” Marinette cut him off.

The catboy froze halfway to the window and looked back at the girl.

Her face had hardened in determination. “You have to promise me that you’ll be more careful from now on.”

He stared at her uncomprehendingly.

“Promise that from now on you won’t rush into fights by yourself. That you’ll help keep people safe while waiting for Ladybug to come back you up. No more charging in headfirst and getting yourself knocked into cars or through walls or off buildings.”

“I can’t just-”

“Promise me!”

Chat took a deep breath. “If I promise… do you swear that whenever there is an akuma attack you’ll get as far away as possible and take cover?”

Marinette nodded furiously.

“Alright then. I promise.”

“You better keep it.”

Smiling Chat Noir stepped out of the window and replied, “I always do Princess.” 

And left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My blog!
> 
> http://browntiger15.tumblr.com/post/144674519499/if-your-taking-requests-maybe-some-protective


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien and Ladybug are hypocrites.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part was written by tumblr user shippingismyheartandsoul

Art by [Ladybeug](http://ladybeug.tumblr.com/)

Writing by [shippingismyheartandsoul](http://shippingismyheartandsoul.tumblr.com/)

* * *

 

In a shattering moment, clarity shone through every cell of Adrien’s being as he understood, without a doubt, what he had to do.

His class had been attending a field trip when the Akuma attacked, tossing cars and setting fire to the area in its enraged fury. Ladybug was already on the scene while he had finally managed to stow away in a nearby alley; it was almost impossible to separate himself from an insanely frantic Nino.

He had flung his shirt open with a disinterested Plagg floating out when his vision caught a sight where his heart clenched and his entire body had somehow turned to ice and fire in the same moment.

Ladybug was doubled over a bridge, her magic yoyo wrapped around a car filled with multiple innocents, swaying side to side. The Akuma had used the sedan full of citizens as a weapon against the heroine, and as they flew past her over the bridge, she instinctively flung her yo-yo out to catch them. Strengthened by her powers, but still lacking God-like strength, she was struggling to pull them up when the Akuma used this moment to their advantage.

Adrien only had a few moments to make one of two choices. Take the time to transform into Chat Noir and pray that Ladybug had a means for escape in the meantime, or distract the Akuma with his civilian self and pray that he would live to see it through this.

He chose the latter.

Gathering all the physical momentum his human body allowed and ignoring Plagg’s “what are you doing?!”, he sprinted towards the Akuma and tackled his shoulder into the super-being with every bit of strength he had. While Chat Noir might have sent the guy flying, Adrien had managed to push him back a few yards, falling to the ground as his shoulder was enflamed in a sudden throbbing.

The Akuma’s angry, red eyes were suddenly set on him instead of his partner, and the sudden crashing of relief mixed with panic filled his body. At least this guy’s sights were set on him, now. As he tried to back away, the Akuma raised its fist with light gathering about it—Adrien didn’t have time to ponder what it was, as the familiar yo-yo wrapped around the enemy’s fist and yanked it away as the blast went off—hitting a nearby public mailbox instead of the young boy’s face.

And in that moment, Adrien has never seen his blue-haired companion more panicked and furious as she sent a roundhouse kick to the Akuma’s chest, sending the foe flying into a building, leaving him a disoriented crater.

Adrien was shocked, however, as she turned her still somewhat furious gaze towards him. She leapt to his side, gently wrapped his good arm around her shoulder and latched one arm securely around his waist while the other hooked her yo-yo to a light post and sent them flying from the danger. After leaping atop the roofs of a few buildings, she set him down and still had her glare on as she unleashed on him.

“ _What were you thinking?!”_ Her voice was strained and high-pitched, not like her normal scolding she did with Chat Noir. She seemed legitimately terrified, as her wide eyes almost looked glassy in this moment.

He wanted to hug her, jokingly tell her he has nine lives like Chat Noir would, but he couldn’t here. He had to play it as Adrien would. “I-I wasn’t!” The young man defended himself. “He was about to blast you away; what was I supposed to do?!”

“You can stay safe!” She poked into his chest, suddenly in his personal bubble. Adrien wasn’t sure how to feel in this moment. His idol was so close, so close that he could feel her breath fan his cheeks, but she was righteously upset with him. “How am I supposed to fight the bad guy if I’m terrified he’s going to make you a pile of dust?! How would I live with myself if he hurt-“

Adrien’s mind suddenly flashed back to when Marinette had jumped out in front of him, to Chat Noir’s defense not too long ago. Now it all made sense; he thought he understood her motives back then, but he had been under his mask and knew what being a hero meant.

But now that he had experienced the choice, and he had selfishly dove headfirst into a battle he was unequipped for to save someone he cared about as well; he knew _exactly_ what Marinette had been thinking. And he had put Ladybug in the same chaotic distress that Marinette had put Chat through.

He was an unequivocal hypocrite, considering if he could make the choice again, he would definitely do the exact same thing. No second thoughts at all.

If he had paid attention instead of suddenly absorbing himself in guilt, he might have noticed that Ladybug had grown unusually quiet in her scolding, also in contemplation.

“If he hurt an innocent civilian…because of me” She finished, suddenly calm and almost robotic sounding.

“I’m sorry, Ladybug.” Adrien timidly met her gaze, and instead of angered oceans of blue meeting his sights, he was met with composed cerulean. “I just wanted you to be okay.”  
  
An understanding smile and a slight reddening of the cheeks graced Ladybug’s face. “You were sweet and _so_ brave to do that, but _please–”_ She threw her arms around him, cautious of his bad arm. “Leave the fighting to those in the super-suits, OK?” She muttered in his ear.

“L-loud and clear.” He smiled, hesitatingly returning the hug. The sound of glass shattering broke their embrace as they turned their focus to the once again rampaging Akuma. She turned back to Adrien, as she nodded a grin his way and sprinted off the edge of the building, flying towards the unresolved battle.

Adrien stared after her, thinking about all the anger he had unleashed on Marinette before. Plagg quickly rose behind him once they were alone. “Looks like the cat has got someone’s tongue.”

“Not now, Plagg. We have a battle to finish.” He clenched his fist as Plagg sighed at the thought of work. “And afterwards, we owe someone an apology.”

* * *

 

BONUS:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shippingismyheartandsoul's blog
> 
> http://shippingismyheartandsoul.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Links in case you missed the ones above
> 
> Ladybeug's tumblr blog:  
> http://ladybeug.tumblr.com/
> 
> Miracufic's tumblr blog:  
> https://miracufic.tumblr.com/


End file.
